Self-efficacy and classroom learning

Abstract

This article discusses the role of perceived self-efficacy during classroom learning of cognitive skills. Self-efficacy refers to personal judgments of performance capabilities in a given domain of activity. Students enter classroom activities with various aptitudes and prior experiences, which affect their initial sense of self-efficacy for learning. During task engagement, students may assess self-efficacy by utilizing cues made cognitively salient by educational practices and which convey information about their capability to acquire knowledge and skills, such as performance outcomes, attributions, situational circumstances, outcome patterns, perceived model similarity, and persuader credibility. In turn, heightened learning self-efficacy enhances motivated learning, or motivation to acquire knowledge and skills. Research findings are presented showing how different educational practices affect self-efficacy. Future research needs to determine how students derive efficacy information from multiple cues, and to specify in finer detail how the cognitive processes involved in understanding instruction and appraising self-efficacy influence one another.

Peer-model attributes and children's achievement behaviors.

“…Given the remedial status of our subjects, it is likely that the coping models' statements seemed more credible. Research shows, however, that once children develop skills, ability attributions exert stronger effects on achievement behaviors (Schunk, 1985). Experiment 2 demonstrated that observing several peers rapidly or gradually learning a cognitive skill promoted self-efficacy for learning, training performance, and posttest self-efficacy and skill as well as did observing a single coping model and better than did observing a single mastery model.…”

“…Although the videotape teachers did not explicitly instruct the peer models to use these techniques, it is possible that subjects learned that increased concentration and hard work could produce better results. Such beliefs can raise selfefficacy (Bandura, 1986 ;Schunk, 1985). Future researchers might disentangle the effects of increased perceived similarity from those due to modeling of coping techniques by including a treatment in which a peer model uses coping techniques but demonstrates the rapid learning characteristic of a mastery model.…”

“…This study also shows that capability self-perceptions bear an important relation to subsequent achievement. Personal expectations for success are viewed as important influences on behavior in a variety of theoretical approaches to achievement (Corno & Mandinach, 1983 ;Covington & Beery, 1976 ;Schunk, 1985 ;Weiner, 1979).…”

“…Individuals who observe similar others performing a task are apt to believe that they also can perform the task because modeling implicitly conveys to observers that they possess the necessary capabilities for succeeding (Berger, 1977). This sense of efficacy is substantiated later when observers succeed at the task (Schunk, 1985). Observers' self-efficacy judgments depend in part on perceptions of similarity in competence to the model and on the outcome (e.g., success or failure) of the model's actions (Brown & Inouye, 1978 ;Zimmerman & Ringle, 1981).…”

Self-Efficacy: An Essential Motive to Learn

“…Asking students to set proximal goals enhanced self-efficacy and skill development more effectively than asking them to set distal goals because the proximal attainments provide evidence of growing capability (Bandura & Schunk, 1981). Verbally encouraging students to set their own goals improved not only their efficacy beliefs and achievement but also their commitment to attaining the goals (Schunk, 1985). The frequency and immediacy of enactive feedback also created higher perceptions of personal efficacy (Schunk, 1983).…”